Property Record
7440 W GREENFIELD AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | West Allis Post Office |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 9217 |
| Location (Address): | 7440 W GREENFIELD AVE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | West Allis |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1939 |
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| Additions: | 1943 |
| Survey Date: | 1980 |
| Historic Use: | post office |
| Architectural Style: | Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | Louis A. Simon; Frances Foy-1943 mural artist |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | West Allis Post Office |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 2/23/2001 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. AN ADDITIONAL MAP CODE IS PO-KK. THE BUILDING IS MASONRY CONSTRUCTION WITH A POURED CONCRETE FOUNDATION AND BRICK EXTERIOR WALLS. PARTITION WALLS ARE WOOD FRAME. THE ROOF OF THE CENTRAL BLOCK IS HIPPED. GUTTERS AND FLASHINGS ARE COPPER. THE BUILDING SITS ON A POLISHED GRAY GRANITE BASE WITH MANKATO LIMESTONE WINDOWS SURROUNDS IN A CREAM MATTE FINISH AND LIMESTONE WINDOW SPANDRELS. THE FRONT STEPS ARE GRANITE. THE LOBBY HAS A POLISHED GREY MARBLE LIMESTONE WAINSCOT. TWO LARGE MURALS WERE PAINTED BY WPA ARTIST FRANCES FOY AND ARE DATED 1943. THE MURALS DEPICT FAMILIES RELAXING AND PICKING FLOWERS IN RURAL SETTINGS. FOY PAINTED ANOTHER MURAL FOR A POST OFFICE IN EAST ALTON, ILLINOIS IN 1936. STRIPPED DOWN NEOCLASSICAL REVIVAL. CAST ALUMINUM EAGLE ABOVE ENTRY. THE BUILDING IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GEORGIAN REVIVAL STYLE. THE PLAN IS RECTANGULAR WITH THE PUBLIC ENTRANCE LOBBY ON THE GREENFIELD AVENUE FACE. THE ELEVATION IS ORGANIZED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE ENTRY DOORS. THE CENTER SECTION AT THE ENTRY IS RAISED AND COVERED WITH A HIP ROOF. ON EITHER SIDE AND SET BACK IS A FLAT ROOFED WING. THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED OF BROWN BRICK ON A GRANITE BASE. THE WINDOWS AND ENTRY DOOR ARE TRIMMED IN SANDSTONE. THERE IS ALSO A METAL FASCIA THAT EXTENDS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE HIP ROOF SECTION. THERE ARE TWO WINDOWS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENTRY DOORS THAT ARE ALMOST THE FULL HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING. THE TRANSOM PANEL OVER THE DOORS MATCHES THIS HEIGHT AND HAS A SCULPTED METAL EAGLE WITHIN IT. THE ENTRY STAIRS ARE OF GRANITE WITH SANDSTONE BALUSTERS ON EITHER SIDE. THE ORIGINAL LIGHT FIXTURES AT THE STAIRS REMAIN. AN ADDITION WAS BUILT ON TO THIS POSTAL STATION AT AN UNSPEICFED DATE. THE BUILDING CORNERSTONE NOTES: "JAMES A. FARLEY, POSTMASTER GENERAL, JOHN M. CARMODY, FEDERAL WORKS ADMINISTRATOR, ENGLEBERT REYNOLDS, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS, LOUIS A. SIMON, SUPERVISING ARCHITECT, NEAL A. MELICK, SUPERVISING ENGINEER, 1939." THE BUILDING, WHICH IS IN GOOD CONDITION, IS LOCATED ON THE MAIN ARTERY IN THE CITY'S BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE: THE WEST ALLIS POST OFFICE HAS SIMILAR ELEMENTS TO THOSE IN JEFFERSON AND CHILTON BUT THE ENTIRE CENTRAL BLOCK HAS BEEN RAISED TO TWO STORIES AND THE FRONT WINDOWS ELONGATED ACCORDINGLY. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: THIS BUILDING, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY OCCUPIED IN OCTOBER OF 1940, IS THE FIRST FEDERALLY-OWNED POST OFFICE IN WEST ALLIS. PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BUILDING, POSTAL SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS SELECTED BY A SERIES OF LOCAL POSTMASTERS. THIS POST OFFICE WAS ONE OF SEVERAL CONSTRUCTED IN WISCONSIN BY THE FEDERAL PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION IN THE 1930S. (SEE BIB. REF. F). THERE ARE TWO MURALS IN THE LOBBY OF THE BUILDING PAINTED BY FRANCES FOY, A W.P.A. ARTIST, IN 1943. (SEE BIB. REF. G) |
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| Bibliographic References: | A. MARLING, K.A. WALL TO WALL AMERICA. 1982, P. 147. B. WEST ALLIS STAR, SEPT 29, 1938, P. 1. C. WEST ALLIS STAR, JULY 11, 1940. P. 1. D. WEST ALLIS STAR, AUG 31, 1939. P.1. E. WEST ALLIS STAR, SEPT 7, 1939, P. 1. F. WEST ALLIS STAR, MAY 30, 1940, P. 1. E. DATE OF CONSTRUCTION - CORNERSTONE. F. "AMERICA BUILDS: THE RECORD OF THE PWA," PUBLIC WORKS ADMINSTRATION, WASHINGTON, D.C., 1939, APPENDIX. G. NOTES ON MURALS. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |